Clint's Comics

Clint’s Comics — founded in 1967 by Clint Murray in Westport/Midtown, Kansas City; believed to be one of the oldest continuously operated comic book stores in America; operating continuously at 3941 Main St through two ownership successions, now run by a member of the Cavanaugh family following the death of long-tenured owner Jim Cavanaugh in 2017.

Description

Clint’s Comics opened in 1967 when Clint Murray — operating out of a newsstand business his father had run — opened a dedicated comic book store on Main Street between 39th and 40th, in what is now the Westport corridor. The timing was early enough that Clint’s Comics placed advertising in Marvel Comics issues of the 1970s, including The Amazing Spider-Man — an unusual commercial presence for a local shop and a marker of its standing in the direct-market era.¹

In 1975, the Cavanaugh family purchased the store from Murray. The new owner kept the “Clint’s Comics” name explicitly because of the brand’s history and because the Marvel comic-book ad placements made the name nationally recognizable among fans.² Jim Cavanaugh ran the store for approximately 39 years — by the Flatland KC profile (2014), he had owned it “for 39 years,” placing his start around 1975–76, consistent with the family-purchase date. Under Cavanaugh, the shop moved to its current address at 3941 Main Street and expanded to roughly 3,000 square feet with three employees, developing a specialty in signings and movie premiere events alongside the core back-issue and new-release inventory.²

Jim Cavanaugh died on May 12, 2017, at age 67, after being struck by a fleeing shoplifter’s vehicle in the store’s rear parking lot and suffering a heart attack. He was widely remembered as a larger-than-life personality and one of the direct market’s most beloved independent retailers — ICv2 called him a “direct market pioneer.” The store closed briefly after his death but has continued to operate since, run by his daughter (name not confirmed in public record).³⁴ As of May 2026, the store’s website remains active and notes “celebrating over 58 years of selling comics, 1967–2026.”⁵

Ownership and history

Year	Event
1967	Clint Murray opens Clint’s Comics on Main St between 39th and 40th, growing out of his father’s newsstand business
1970s	Shop places advertising in Marvel Comics (e.g., Amazing Spider-Man #101) — unusual and significant direct-market presence for a local shop
1975	Cavanaugh family purchases the store from Clint Murray; name retained for history and brand recognition
c.1975–2010s	Jim Cavanaugh operates the store for ~39 years; shop relocates to 3941 Main St; grows to 3,000 sq ft / 3 employees
2017	Jim Cavanaugh dies (May 12) following confrontation with a shoplifter; store closes briefly
2017 – present	Jim Cavanaugh’s daughter assumes operation of the store; continuous operation maintained
2026	Store notes “58 years of selling comics” (1967–2026) on website; active as of May 2026

Links

• Website: http://clintscomics.net/
• Email: clintsbooks@gmail.com
• Phone: (816) 561-2848
• Comic Shop Locator: https://www.comicshoplocator.com/StoreProfile/2196

Sources

Disputes

None at this time. The “oldest comic store in America” claim has soft competition (Golden Age Collectibles, Vancouver, claims a 1961 opening), but this does not affect KC classification or tier.

Footnotes

1. CBCS Comics Forum — “Oldest comic store in the country.” Thread post by KCBatmanFan (c. 2021). https://forum.cbcscomics.com/topic/13989/oldest-comic-store-in-the-country/ — Asserts: 1967 founding; Clint Murray’s father’s newsstand origin; Jim Cavanaugh death 2017; “his daughter is running the place now”; Marvel comic-book ads (Spider-Man #101). ↩

2. Diamond Comics — “Clint’s Comics.” https://www.diamondcomics.com/Article/35098-Clints-Comics — Asserts: 1967 founding; Cavanaugh quote on keeping the name for history + Marvel ad presence; 3,000 sq ft / 3 employees; speciality in signings/movie events. ↩ ↩²

3. KCUR — “Owner Of Kansas City’s Clint’s Comics Killed After Altercation.” Published 2017-05-13. https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2017-05-13/owner-of-kansas-citys-clints-comics-killed-after-altercation — Asserts: Jim Cavanaugh death; Cavanaugh family purchased from Clint Murray in 1975; believed oldest continuously operated comic store in America; Westport location. ↩

4. CBCS Comics Forum (KCBatmanFan, op. cit.) — Asserts: “His daughter is running the place now.” Name of daughter not stated; no independent press confirmation of her name found. ↩

5. Clint’s Comics official website — clintscomics.net (last updated May 29, 2026). — Asserts: current address 3941 Main St KC MO 64111; phone (816) 561-2848; hours Mon–Tue 11am–7pm, Wed 10am–7pm, Thu–Sat 11am–7pm, Sun closed; “celebrating over 58 years of selling comics 1967–2026”; “CUSTOMER PICK-UP OR COME VISIT” language. ↩